Hidden
by jo taylor
Summary: Continuation of the love story between Daniel and Sophia,first seen in Kwaidan, that takes them to Egypt where a Goa'uld sleeps beneath a hidden temple.
1. Chapter 1

1 of 13

Author's note: For anyone who has read and enjoyed Kwaidan, this story continues Daniel's relationship with Sophia.

I would suggest reading that story first.

Hidden

Jo Taylor

The sun was beginning to go down as the call to evening prayer began. Gratefully the workers downed tools and knelt on the ground to give thanks for all that they had. Around them, the foundations of the new hotel were beginning to take shape. Now that the annual flood was a thing of the past, controlled by the mighty Aswan dam, buildings could be erected on the edge of the Nile and much needed tourist money be welcomed into the economy.

In the last rays of the falling sun, Mohammed looked out over the site, his eyes sliding from the stack of materials piled high to deep pits waiting to be filled. The area suitable to build on was hemmed in on three sides by the wind driven sand of the desert, they had dug long and hard to find a stable area on which to set the building and cleared many tons of sand in the process. The wind gusted up again, a last breeze before falling still for the night, and as he watched the golden sand swirl he saw something emerge from the gloom. Taking up his torch he made his way carefully past the perimeter and knelt beside the object. Mud brick met his gaze: a perfectly preserved block. Gently his hand cleared away more of the sand revealing a line of bricks. The remains of a workman's hut, he thought, nothing that would cause any delay to the hotel's completion. As he worked, a large piece of limestone reflected back his torch's steady beam.

Deep below the surface a god slept, unaware that soon he would be free.

Chapter 1

Daniel pulled up in front of Sophia's house and felt some of the tension ease from his neck. These past few months, easing his way back into the SGC, had not been easy. Keeping up the façade around his team had proven a strain at times. He felt he had changed somehow, but he could not put his finger on what had gone awry within him. His one stable emotion had been the blossoming regard for Sophia, and hers for him. Last month they had moved from friends to lovers, a decision Daniel had not taken lightly. He cared too much about her to use her for physical gratification alone, but he had been aware that he could not offer her everything she deserved: honesty.

She deserved to know why he disappeared for days at a time; deserved to know how he had acquired his scars. She never asked, though her fingers would skim the raised flesh with curious intensity at times. He longed to unburden himself to her, knowing she'd be a safe haven for anything he might say. The mission he'd just returned from blazed in his memory. God, how he wished he could talk out his feelings – sometimes he felt almost crushed by them. And then his defences would kick in, and they would be relegated to the back of his subconscious to fester.

Her car was nowhere in sight, so Daniel let himself in, enjoying the feeling of peace that settled in him. Sophia's house was not large, but there was an air of space created by the décor and the large windows that let in the late evening light. He made coffee and settled himself on the large couch. Its softness welcomed his weight and he let his head settle back for a moment. Taking a sip of his drink, Daniel's eyes drifted over the books stacked high on the coffee table. Sophia had always had an interest in ancient Egypt, but his arrival in her life had increased that ten-fold. Aided, he had to admit, by his own passion for the archaeology and the fact that he had been way too informative when they had visited the local museum.

Tiredness swept through him making his limbs feel leaden. His head felt stuffed with cotton wool, the vague memory of a migraine still lingering after he had played host to half the passengers of the Stromos. It had been a while now, yet he sometimes felt that not everything or everyone had been removed. Or, of course, it might be nothing to do with that at all.

Kicking off his shoes, Daniel laid himself out, letting his body sink into the overstuffed cushions. Sophia might be hours yet he realised, suddenly remembering that this was the evening the new Egyptian exhibition was being opened to a select few. Daniel had pulled strings and got her an invite, along with her friend Maggie, another amateur with a passion. She'd asked him to go, her soft brown eyes pulling at him but he had been due out on a mission the day before and who knew when he would be back? He couldn't let her be disappointed should he not make it back in time. She'd been disappointed anyway, because he had made excuses. Lying was not his forté, and Sophia knew him well enough now to know when he was skirting the truth.

Daniel turned his head into the cushions and let sleep take him; it did no good to dwell on his shortcomings, they were too numerous to keep track of.

He woke to the soft stroke of gentle fingers on his brow and the faint hint of perfume close to him. Sophia.

"You were frowning in your sleep," she said softly.

His eyes opened to find her balanced on her knees bending close to him. His hand moved up to cup her face, pulling her down for a long, seductive kiss.

"Hi", he murmured pulling back from her a little. "Welcome home."

She smiled down at him, kissed him quickly, then got up and headed to the kitchen.

"Coffee? I see you left one to go cold."

Daniel swung his legs around and sat up, running a hand over his face, trying to wake up. On the floor sat the coffee he had made hours ago, only half drunk. He picked up the cup and joined Sophia at the kitchen sink, his arms coming around her, pulling her back against him. The dream had followed him into waking and he needed the contact.

She turned in his arms and looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes meeting his blue. "You're still frowning, Daniel." Her fingers once again came up to smooth across his forehead. "What's wrong?"

His arms slipped away from her, and he moved to put the cup in the sink.

"I'm fine, just a headache," he replied, a touch brisker than was necessary. It wasn't a total lie, there was the hint of an ache behind his eyes, but as his gaze caught hers, he could see she didn't believe him.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be…" She moved into his arms again and hugged him quickly.

She fit so perfectly against him, her head resting on his shoulder as though it belonged there. His body responded to her nearness but he clamped down his desires, at least for now.

"Tell me about the exhibit, did you have a good time? I see you brought back the programme." Daniel had spotted the glossy book laid on the kitchen counter, a statue of Rameses on the front.

Sophia moved away from him, letting him change the subject, and picked up the book. "Want to see?"

They sat side by side on the couch, thighs touching, heads bent over the photos. It was a small, but eclectic selection ranging from small ushabti to large basalt figures: Horus, Hathor, Anubis all represented in some way. Daniel tried not to associate the figures and carvings with the Goa'uld he had fought. The Egyptians who had represented their gods so symbolically had no knowledge of the parasites that had taken their names.

Hours later, sated and half asleep, Daniel felt Sophia's fingers track across his flesh once more. Not to stimulate, just smoothing over old scars as she often did after they had made love. Her fingers came to rest on the welt left by a staff weapon blast. Janet had done her best, but without plastic surgery that particular injury would always be there.

"I feel them, Daniel." Sophia's voice was low in the darkness.

He frowned then tightened his arm around her. He didn't know what to say to her. They were old scars, a permanent reminder of the dangers he lived with.

Her hand moved restlessly against his skin, skimming from scar to scar. She raised herself up on one arm and gazed down at him, her face serious, eyes concerned.

"Sophia?"

"They hurt you, Daniel. Not the physical scars." Her hand move again until it came to rest above his heart. "The emotional scars, I feel them, here." She pressed lightly against his chest, "and here." Her fingers moved to her own breast.

He sucked in a tight breath. He had never considered that she could read him as she had the netsuke he had brought to her months ago. But perhaps it made sense. He had always felt connected to her whenever they touched. She would let her fingers trace his face, his body, and he would feel the tension ease.

For a moment he teetered on the brink of leaving, putting distance between himself and this woman who should not have to bear the shattered emotions he kept hidden even from himself.

"Don't run, Daniel. Please don't run." Her hand cupped his cheek now, forcing his eyes to meet hers. Tears welled there, barely held back. "My gift always ruins things. I should never have told you what I sense. I don't mean to pry, but I love you Daniel and you deserve my honesty."

A tear dripped onto his chest, scalding him.

For a moment more he struggled with himself, then pulled her down and back into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I can't tell you about them, I don't think I could face any of them again, not yet at least."

She lay across him, making at much contact as she could. "I don't mind if you can't share, Daniel, just don't hide them from me. I feel sometimes that you put a barrier between us, when something unpleasant has happened. I don't feel connected to you in the same way."

"I know. I'll try." He kissed her gently, and then, as passion ignited between them, he gave himself over to her completely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Two weeks later

There was a standing brief that all new archaeological sites, reports, photos, etc were to be forwarded directly to Dr Jackson. So it was no great surprise for Daniel to find a packet on his desk that morning. He opened it, tipping its contents out. The first thing he saw was the aerial shot of what looked like a building site. Beside it, he could just make out what appeared to be a row of limestone blocks. Quickly he turned it over to see where the photo was taken. Aswan. Apart from near the dam itself there was now building sites cropping up further along the banks of the Nubian Sea. Tourism was the lifeblood of the Egyptian economy and there was a flurry of activity in the area to provide hotels and other facilities. He flicked onto the next photo, a close up this time of a glistening white façade beginning to emerge from the sand; the tip of a deeply scored design just showing. Daniel checked the dates and frowned. Four weeks ago. The photos had taken their time being forwarded to him. Still, it could be months before the paperwork got sorted on this one. The corporation would be asking for compensation for work suspended, various countries and archaeological teams would be vying for the permits allowing them to unearth this building. He tucked the files away and moved on to the video sent back from the last mission SG4 had been on. They'd discovered a partially ruined temple of possibly Mayan origin, but the script painted onto the walls seemed to be a derivation of Ancient.

Sophia set the phone back on its cradle. The answering machine had picked up again, but she had left no message this time, she had some pride after all. Though perhaps Daniel had just been away? Or, she berated herself, her confessions had been enough to see him off as it had done before to men in her life. She had thought Daniel different, deeper, and more open, especially after their experience with the netsuke. It seemed she was wrong.

From outside a horn beeped, Maggie and the cab taking them to the airport. With one last glance around, Sophia picked up her suitcase and headed down the path.

Maggie's excited voice echoed in the cab's small interior. "Hey, isn't this great? Just think, this time tomorrow we'll be waking up in Luxor!"

Her friend's enthusiasm made little headway through her unhappiness, but Sophia smiled and did her best to match Maggie's mood.

The airport was bustling and it took them over half an hour to get checked through before they could go and find a coffee whilst they waited for the flight to be called.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's bugging you, Soph? You look like someone's drowned your puppy or something. Let me guess... Daniel. Am I right?" Maggie put her coffee down and aimed a gimlet eye at her friend. "C'mon, I'm right. What did he do?"

"Nothing. He did nothing," Sophia replied, fingers curling around the hot styrofoam. "It's just he hasn't been around this last couple of weeks and I wanted to talk to him before we left, that's all."

"That's all?" Maggie said, disbelief large in her face. "I thought this guy was, well, the next best thing since pantyhose you sang his praises so high. And he seemed like a nice guy the few times I've met him. Soph, you waited nearly three years to have a man back in your life, surely you checked him out before you did anything, you know…"

Sophia raised her coffee to her mouth and took a long sip. "Maybe that's the problem right there. But I don't want to talk about it." She looked up at her friend, a smile forced onto her features. "We're on holiday, right? Daniel can just wait until I get home."

He didn't like the grey block of a house that he had finally settled in, he decided. The colour was drab, the corridors were too narrow, the rooms too cramped. The owner of the apartment he had first rented had moved him out after the destruction he and the team had caused to the fixtures and fittings. There had been little time and less enthusiasm when he had gone hunting for a new place. He dropped his keys by the phone, noting the flashing light and ignoring it for the moment. What he really wanted, he knew, was Sophia's house and Sophia. He shook his head, annoyed at himself. He'd not been back since that night she had confessed she could read his emotions. He had meant to stay, meant to let her in, but the thought niggled at him. He didn't like being vulnerable. For years, as his tenure with SG1 had progressed, he'd learned the hard way that he needed a shell around him, a carapace so tough nothing could get through unless he was willing to let it. He'd let it down now and then, when something struck a chord within him, but he was unsure how to protect himself against Sophia, or if he wanted to. So he'd done what she'd asked him not to do and run. He was not a coward, he knew that, he'd faced danger time and again, thought he'd faced his demons and won, but perhaps not. Perhaps one slim, warm, compassionate woman was more than he could handle.

Coffee in hand, he went back to the answering machine, five calls. He pulled the scrap pad closer and grabbed a pen, then hit the button for the first message.

The first two were from Jack, sent before the mission reminding him that they were meeting that evening and taking Teal'c to the game. Daniel smiled ruefully. He wasn't a fan by any means, but as a social study it was of some interest. The third call was a chirpy pre-recorded message telling him that he'd been selected as a winner of… He pressed the fast-forward to number four.

"Daniel? I hate talking to machines. I thought I'd let you know that I'm leaving for Egypt on Friday. Maggie and I have been invited out to Luxor to visit Salwa. She's organising some trips for us, seeing the sights, maybe flying up to Aswan and Abu Simbel. I… I miss you, Daniel. If you feel you can, please ring me, or come over. You know you are always welcome."

He could hear it in her voice, even distorted by the answering machine's tinny player. She had put her pride to one side and made the first move. He played her message again, and then a third time – so few words, but an essay of meaning. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for a fool. He'd slept at the facility last night - today was Thursday and he'd been on and off world for the last ten days involved in negotiations between the SGC and the Unas who had been defending the naquata mines they held sacred. That had been a close one, and he had buried every emotion as deep as he could throughout the whole time. Anger had threatened him more than once and he had been this close to hitting the colonel in charge whose bigotry threatened even his legendary self-control.

She'd been gone nearly a week. Her decision must have been an impulse, surely? It was only two weeks since he'd left her sleeping; two weeks since he'd walked away.

He picked up the phone then put it down again. He could try her cell, though depending on where she was reception could be tricky. He didn't have Salwa's phone number that he knew of. Grabbing his PDA he quickly scanned the phone lists. Nothing. Damn. It would be in the address book Sophia kept by her phone, but he didn't feel comfortable going to her house while she was away.

He picked up the phone again - he'd try her cell.

The doorbell rang, making him jump. Gently he dropped the phone back into position and went to open the door. Jack and Teal'c stood on his doorstep. Jack grinning like a mad thing, Teal'c, cap pulled over his forehead, showing his enthusiasm by the gleam in his usually stoic eyes.

Jack's grin faded. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Give me a minute, I'll just get my keys." Daniel turned away from them composing himself as he picked up his house keys again and retrieved his jacket.

"Daniel?" Jack was right behind him. "Spill it."

On occasion Jack could be amazingly perceptive, it didn't happen often and each time it made Daniel wonder just what he'd done to telegraph his anxiety.

"Sophia," he said briskly. "She's gone on holiday and I missed her call. That's all."

Teal'c's head tipped to one side as he gave him a measured look. Jack's lips pursed, then he opened his mouth, changed his mind and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder instead. "Let's go. Teal'c's in desperate need of a hot dog."

The door slammed behind them and they were half way to the car when Daniel heard the faint ringing of his phone. He hesitated for a fraction, then picked up the pace and slid in the back of Jack's jeep. Whatever it was it could wait until he got home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sunrise in Luxor came with the call to prayer and the clatter of horses and cars in the streets surrounding Salwa's apartment near the great temple. Sophia lay listening to the unfamiliar sounds, and then got out of bed to pad over to the window to look out on the ruins just yards away. They would go to the temple today and see up close the fabulous columns, the mix of styles. Salwa's cousin, Otaifi, was a guide and they had booked to join his tour. And later, Salwa was taking them to a perfumery after Maggie had said how much she liked the scent she had been wearing.

She dressed sensibly and, camera in hand, she and Maggie made the short journey to the temple. For the next hour they were moved from pillar to post, from spot to spot as each tour avoided one another with the ease of long custom. Finally they stood at the head of the long road flanked by Sphinx that had once run between Luxor and the Great Temple of Karnak. At every stop, with every well-rehearsed speech, Sophia had felt the loss of Daniel at her side. He was so passionate about the archaeology, so knowledgeable about the reliefs, could read the panels as easily as she could manage the latest best seller. She knew his job was something he could not talk about, something that gave him scope to use his considerable talents for languages and history but she could conceive of no job description that would fit the facts as she knew them. And his scars, God his scars bore testament to something much more dangerous than digging up pottery, or poring over research papers. Maybe he could never tell her what he did that took him away for days at a time. Maybe just the small insight that she had into his emotions was enough to put him in some danger?

Sighing, Sophia caught up with her group as they made their way out of the temple area and headed back to Salwa's for lunch. The air was hot and dry now, and Sophie felt hemmed in by the tide of humanity that surged around them, the array of children with their hands held out for baksheesh. For someone brought up in a fairly affluent area, the poverty here was incredible.

There was a sense of relief as she exited the temple grounds, not only did the crowds dissipate somewhat but the nagging pressure in her head also eased. She had put it down to being so hemmed in by people, but now, away from the pillars and reliefs she realised that it had been the temple itself that had been closing in around her. In a way it made sense, she mused. Normally she had to touch an object to feel any resonance, but there, in the centre of the temple she had been surrounded by centuries of worship, of a devotion that subsequent civilisations could never match, or at least not in such numbers. Would every temple be the same? Sophia felt a cold chill tingle across her skin; she would have to take measures to protect herself that was all.

That evening Salwa told them that her friend at the Museum had been informed that work had begun on the Aswan site and that already a large portion of the outer wall was now uncovered. Time constraints put on them by the government meant the temple needed to be excavated in short order, so that they could assess whether the hotel could still be built. There was little money in the government coffers to cover any claims for compensation. But, should the temple prove to be in good condition then it would add yet another tourist attraction to the much visited sites, and add tourist dollars to the countries coffers.

Tomorrow they would drive out to Karnak to see the mighty pillared hall, then the day after, should they be able to get flights, it would be up to Abu Simbel, stay overnight then back down to Aswan and with luck get a look at the new temple that was emerging from the sands.

Dawn, a beautiful sunrise and with the first rays of light Salwa's battered old car found a spot in the car park by the temple of Karnak. They were not the first to arrive, but only two coaches were already parked, neither of them very large. Sophia, Maggie and Salwa got out of the car and as one they grinned. Already vendors were beginning to set up their stalls to attract the tourists that would flood the site during the day. With brisk movements, eyes firmly away from the natives the three made their way to the ticket booth and paid the entrance fee.

Stepping into the shadows between the huge pillars, Sophia felt the history settle on her. Her heart, all her senses begged for her to reach out and touch one of the mighty columns, but they had been warned time and again not to touch the monuments; years of careless handling by unwitting hands was now seeing the beauty of the ancient Egyptians begin to vanish. She stood under one of the huge blocks that spanned between pillars, the colours now lost from the columns was still visible in the early morning light where it was hidden from the sun's devastating destruction. Again she found herself longing for Daniel. Closing her eyes she imagined him there, her hand in his as he pointed out the cartouches that sat side by side, the ankh that followed it, could almost hear his voice as he translated the symbols making the history live for her. Maggie's excited voice dragged her back from her reverie, dreaming about Daniel didn't make him any closer to her, not really. He'd made no attempt to reach her on this trip. Her cell phone rested in her handbag, it hadn't been from her for a moment on the trip, just in case he tried to phone or text. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; perhaps she'd try and reach him tonight, before they had to pack for Abu Simbel.

They stayed two hours wandering the hyperstyle hall, visiting the sacred pool. Sophia couldn't make herself enter the holy of holies, the intensity of the vibrations left there, even after so many years, made her head begin to ache. If she had been alone, if there was no guided tour to interrupt, she might have chanced letting her barriers down a little, to feel the intensity of the devotion that lingered there still.

As they left, Sophia came to a decision, tonight she would try to phone Daniel. The uncertainty between them was leaving her unsettled in a way that she hadn't felt for a long time. Even though the holiday was enjoyable, she wanted to know where she stood with the man she loved - even if it was to say goodbye. She mentioned her intentions to Maggie, who pursed her lips and shook her head. "Soph, wait till you get home. Go to his place, track him down and make him tell you what's wrong. If it's over, well better to be told face to face than at the other end of the phone line surely?"

"I know, it seems stupid, but I just can't get him out of my thoughts. At least if he tells me to get lost I can start putting him behind me. Everywhere I go here, I find myself thinking of him."

Maggie watched her friend closely. Daniel had got under Sophia's skin like no man she had ever known. They had seemed connected somehow. If Daniel did give her the brush off she knew Sophia wouldn't take it well at all. And to be under that sort of pressure so far from home and familiar surroundings wasn't a good mix. She sighed then tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe we should have gone to Atlantic City, nothing there to remind you of him," and grinned as Sophia gave a rueful laugh.

Sunset, and the end of the day heralded by the call to prayer. All around the city the faithful stopped what they were doing, and gave thanks for all they had.

Sophia held her cell phone tightly in her hand, finger poised over Daniel's number, then with a quick stab she pressed dial. Three rings and his answering machine picked up once more. For a moment she wondered if he were screening his calls, ensuring that he didn't speak to her.

"Daniel? I need to talk to you, if you're there, please, pick up." She let the silence hang for a few moments, then took a deep breath and began. "Look, I know this isn't the best way to do this, but I've been thinking about us, about what happened. I'm sorry if I scared you, Daniel. I can't help what I feel, it's always been there and I don't want it to come between us. Even here, a thousand miles away from you I can still feel it. I think I could help, if you'd let me. I don't want it to be over, Daniel. Please, phone me." Then, her voice not quite steady she added, "You would have loved this trip, Daniel. We visited Karnak today and you were by my side. The emotions trapped in these buildings are so intense, I… " She heard the click of his machine as the tape ran out and turned off her phone, staring at the blank screen. Well, she'd tried.

She looked up and saw Maggie standing in the doorway, mouth pursed in disapproval.

"Okay, I know I sound like a love struck teenager, but being here surrounded by all this history, it's impossible to get him off my mind."

Maggie shook her head and sighed. "Wanna tell me what it was that drove him off?"

Sophia had the sudden urge to unburden herself, Maggie knew about her abilities, at least to a small extent. She patted the bed beside her. "This could take a while."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Daniel sat oblivious to the noise around him. Jack was up out of his seat for the hundredth time that quarter, his voice joining those around him to cheer his team on. The thud of his backside returning to the bench did little to disturb the thoughts that constantly echoed around Daniel's brain.

"_It hurts, Daniel_." He could hear her voice, feel her touch on his skin. "_Don't run_," she had asked and he had given himself up to her, lost in the moment. Then he had come home to the real world. That morning he had been sent out on another mission with SG5, a recon to a promising planet and it had hit him then – he could never keep this from her. Should he, for one moment, let go of his armour she would see what he did and that meant she would be in danger. Just being close to her had probably put her on someone's radar, a potential hostage. He stared with blank eyes as two skaters crashed together in front of the stand. Jack was on his feet again, Teal'c beside him, both casting aspersions on the parentage of the opposing team's player as their man went down in a whirl of blades and sticks. What had she seen that night? He'd let down the barriers and welcomed her in. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had gone through his mind then, but all that came back was being lost in her warmth and the ecstasy of completion. Perhaps she hadn't delved at all? She had made no more mention of it, not even as they had settled for sleep. Next morning he had slid out of her bed, leaving her asleep and letting himself quietly out of the house.

Jack's hand landed heavily on Daniel's shoulder breaking his thoughts into tiny pieces. "Beer time, let's go. C'mon, Daniel, time to celebrate." Daniel found his feet being propelled inexorably toward the exit as the three of them fought their way through the crowd. Teal'c finally moved in front of them ploughing through the throng with a touch of his hand here, a polite word there, his imposing figure threading a path to the exits and on to the car park.

Three beers later and Daniel had forgotten what had been so depressing; by number five he could hardly remember his name. It was the off key singing that finally broke up the night. Jack had been watching Daniel drink steadily since they had sat down and noted that his friend had hardly touched the meal in front of him. He and Teal'c had shared a concerned look then continued their conversation to which Daniel had contributed nothing – until he started singing. Unfortunately he didn't know all the words, and worse, he couldn't sing worth a damn.

"Time to go home, Daniel." Jack tapped him gently on the shoulder, giving him a harder shove when Daniel didn't respond except to raise his voice a little louder.

"Teal'c, grab his other arm. Let's get him out of here before they decide to throw us out."

Between them they manhandled Daniel out into the open air, the chill wind whipping around them as they headed to Jack's four-wheel drive. They pushed Daniel into the back seat and strapped him in.

"I shouldn't have done it," Daniel muttered from the rear of the car.

"Oh Lord," Jack sighed. "Done what, Daniel? What are you blaming yourself for now?"

Daniel's gaze landed briefly on Jack's face then drifted away. "Shouldn't have done it," he repeated and raised a hand to cover his eyes.

"Oh, great. I hate a cry in your beer drunk." Jack turned the engine on and pulled out of the restaurant's car park, following a line of cars heading in the same direction.

For a few minutes Jack and Teal'c listened to Daniel muttering under his breath, a stark hurt look in his eyes before covering them again, neither of them getting any kind of answer when they tried to find out just what was troubling him.

"I suggest strong coffee, O'Neill," Teal'c offered, turning to watch Daniel's shaking shoulders. "I believe there is a Starbucks not far away."

Ten minutes later Jack pressed an espresso into Daniel's hands. "Drink, now," he ordered and when Daniel didn't comply quickly enough, forced the steaming cup up to Daniel's mouth. "Drink."

They dumped Daniel on his bed, Jack pulling off his shoes and throwing the quilt over his comatose body. Heading to the kitchen he rummaged under the sink and dragged out a bucket that he left beside the bed. Daniel couldn't hold his drink and the morning was going to be messy.

On the way out, Jack noted the flashing light on the answering machine. It might be important, or it might not. For a second his hand hovered over the play button, then he set the machine to run. He skimmed through the first three, all old messages: two from him, one automated telemarketing call, then he found Sophia's. His eyes caught Teal'c's. "Ouch," he said softly. The next one was from Teal'c reminding Daniel of their meeting that night. It seemed neither of them trusted Daniel to remember something he really didn't want to do... then the last message began to play:

"_Daniel? I need to talk to you. If you're there, please, pick up. Look, I know this isn't the best way to do this, but I've been thinking about us, about what happened. I'm sorry if I scared you, Daniel. I can't help what I feel. It's always been there…"_ Jack's finger came down hard on the stop button.

"Oh boy," Jack said softly.

"I concur," Teal'c replied, just as quietly.

Tearing off the top sheet from the pad by the phone, Jack scrawled a quick note to Daniel telling him to check his messages then propped it up by the coffee maker in the kitchen. No matter what he felt like next morning, Daniel would start his day with coffee.

Doctor Zawi Hawas stared at the temple façade that had been revealed over the last few weeks. An international team had been chosen to join with his hand-picked group in uncovering the latest find and they had all been working flat out for the past week since the government had finally given permission to the relevant countries. Actually, Hawas had been amazed at the speed that the grant had come through. Egyptians rarely did anything at a fast pace, especially making decisions such as this. So much rested on choosing the right people for the job: experience, commitment and money all played their part.

The frown had become a permanent fixture since the writing had begun to emerge. It certainly wasn't Egyptian, it bore little resemblance to hieroglyphics, nor was it in any language that he had come across. He had been startled enough when he realised that the temple appeared to be dedicated to Hapi, a deity whose previous status was that of a lesser god, but the writing had begun to ring warning bells. He had the sinking feeling that the whole thing could be a hoax. A very clever, over elaborate and certainly expensive one - but a fraud all the same. They would have to continue, there was no choice, but he felt the slow simmer of anger begin at the thought that just maybe their time was being wasted.

It wasn't until the plane was already in the air that Sophia realised she had left her phone in the apartment. Last night she had put it by the bed to remind her to slip it into her bag the next morning and, if she were truthful, in the hope that just maybe Daniel would phone. That morning she had been woken early, rushed through her ablutions, had her overnighter grabbed by Salwa's husband and was on her way to the airport before she had really come awake. There were a lot of tourists like herself queuing to get on board. This flight up to Abu Simbel was a popular one and it took them a while to get checked through. It was when she went looking for a tissue that she realised that her phone still rested on the bedside table.

"My phone!"

Maggie turned her head, "What about it? You can't use it on board, you know."

"I know, I know, but I left it behind. What if…"

Maggie stopped her. "Don't go there. Maybe it's for the best. If he rings, well hopefully he'll leave a message. There's no point worrying about it. We'll be back in a couple of days. What could possibly happen, right?"

Sophia closed her eyes for a moment then sighed. "You're right, I know. At least I'll be able to concentrate on the holiday instead of wondering if my phone is going to ring."

"Abu Simbel," Maggie whispered in a thrilled voice.

"Abu Simbel," Sophia replied, her mood lightening. It was the highlight of the holiday for her. She had read everything she could in the short space of time before they had flown out: poured over photos of the huge seated figures of Rameses; the massive pillared hall; watched videos filmed at the site. It was a magnificent building and a testament to the exceptional builders who had erected such a wonderful temple dedicated to their pharaoh.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Daniel greeted the morning with a sudden lunge over the edge of the bed. Thankfully Jack's positioning of the bucket had been accurate and most welcome. Ten minutes later the room stopped spinning and so did Daniel's stomach. A marching band still played loudly in his head, but after careful experimentation, he felt confident to at least try to move.

Upright, the room spun again and the band reached a crescendo with clashing cymbals and thumping bass drum to which Daniel gave an accompanying groan. He was never, ever, going to drink again. With one hand shielding his eyes, he made his way slowly to the kitchen. Much as the thought made his stomach churn again, Daniel knew he had to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes. Two glasses of orange juice, three Tylenol and a couple of cookies later, Daniel's symptoms began to subside enough to contemplate a coffee.

There was a folded sheet of paper propped against the glass carafe with Jack's familiar writing across the front. Daniel glanced at it for a moment, decided that whatever Jack wanted to say could wait until his brain began to function again and set the coffee machine to start. The gentle burble of heating water made his eyes water. He moved away to the sitting room taking Jack's note with him.

_Listen to your messages._

That was it? Daniel turned the paper over again: just his name on the front and those four words inside. It was unlike Jack to be cryptic. Daniel had half expected a caustic comment on his lack of judgement the night before, but Jack would probably wait until he could taunt him in person. Daniel sighed as he heard the coffee machine finish its cycle. Perhaps his brain would function better after a decent shot of caffeine.

Coffee in hand he skipped through the first few messages, deleting as he went, until he reached Sophia's from the night before. He let the message play through and it was as though she stood beside him. He leant his head against the wall, letting his eyes close... damn, damn, damn. He could imagine her standing beside the huge pillars of Karnak, a tiny woman whose frail appearance hid an inner strength he'd felt from the beginning. He hated that she was letting him erode her confidence this way. The urge to make things right was almost overwhelming. He glanced at the clock, gauging the time in Egypt, then picked up the phone and dialled her cell. It rang and rang until finally it switched to voice mail. "Hey, it's me. I'll try you later." Daniel hung up, a nagging sense of wrongness creeping into his heart.

For the rest of the morning Daniel pottered around the house, he couldn't settle to doing anything. There were articles he'd wanted to read, research he'd intended to catch up with on line; chores that needed doing around the house. He could settle to none of it. A nagging uneasy feeling had settled in his gut, not all of which could be attributed to the excesses of the night before.

The phone rang at the same time as his front door bell. Daniel picked up the phone, answering as he headed for the front door.

"Hey, you okay this morning?" It was Jack, his voice way too chipper. Daniel waited for the wisecrack as he opened the door.

A messenger handed over a large manila envelope stamped by the SGC.

"Ah, that sounds like it now," Jack's voice echoed in Daniel's ear. "Interesting photos coming out of Egypt, Peters thought you should see these right away." Then, without missing a beat, "so, did you listen to your messages?"

Daniel ignored the last comment as he ripped open the envelope, spreading the photos onto the kitchen counter.

"I need to go to Egypt," Daniel muttered, scanning the pictures.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, true love runs whatever, but do you really think you need to chase after Sophia? Ring the woman for Christ's sake!"

"Jack, shut up for a minute, and let's leave my love life out of this." Daniel felt his guts twist a little and got himself under control. "Have you seen these?"

"Oh yeah, Peters wasn't sure about the translations, but it was enough to get him agitated, and you know I hate it when he does that. Reminds me of a dog I once had who kept chasing his tail when he got spooked. Weird."

"We can't get on the site without permission. Hawas is notorious to get past. Do we have any connections with anyone on his team?" Daniel had got used to Jack's lateral conversations and didn't hesitate to ignore him now. What mattered was getting out to Aswan and seeing the temple himself.

"Already being organised; our people are talking to their people, yada yada. We're off as soon as we get the all clear. Better get packed. And Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Make that call."

The crowd were on their knees before him, foreheads pressed to the floor in worship. Hep stood on the steps looking down at his subjects, their adoration a balm to his soul. He had been abandoned here a century before, no escape possible, not yet at least. He had made a life for himself with these primitive people, bringing them water to irrigate their crops, teaching them how to build a temple fit for a god. They were his, to do with as he pleased, but they could never give him what he craved: freedom from this planet; a return to the stars where he belonged; and vengeance on the others who had left him here to rot. Soon he would have to return to the sarcophagus and this time he would not emerge until he had the opportunity to be free. Sensors had been tuned and the sarcophagus had been adapted. He would remain protected by his people until the day his brethren returned and he could once again take his rightful place on the high council.

Hep dreamed on through the centuries as his deeds were lost to his people. The Nile receded from his place of worship, his priests grew cynical and came less often to his temple and his true name was lost in time, altered to Hapi, its meaning also lost. Eventually no one came to worship. The sands were allowed to swallow the buildings and still Hep slept on.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The path sloped down and circled around from behind the temples. Abu Simbel came into view as they strode quickly along the pathway, Sophia and Maggie just two of hundreds of tourists all making the same journey. It was magnificent, and so much larger than either had expected. Yes, they had read the books, watched the videos but it wasn't until they were faced with the towering statues that the true size of the place took hold. Of course that was the whole purpose of the building, to make Rameses' subjects bow in awe and even now, centuries later, Sophia had the desire to bow her head in acknowledgement.

Inside was just as awe-inspiring. Battle scenes dominated one wall, Rameses leading his men to victory, his enemies crushed beneath his wheels and then the supreme vanity, Rameses seated beside the gods, an equal, Ptah the only god to not receive the sun's rays on those special days. Strangely Sophia didn't feel the crushing sensation of worship that had surrounded her at Karnak and Luxor, maybe because the building had been dismantled. It was an interesting thought, that maybe its deconstruction had somehow severed the psychic links. Had she been allowed, she might have tried touching the mighty statues of Rameses that lined the hall, just to see what residue she could tap into.

Outside, a vendor had set up out of sight of the guards, his bag full of photos from inside the tomb. Tempted, both Sophia and Maggie bought from him, tucking the evidence away as the seller suddenly upped stakes and moved off. Turning, they saw a pair of guards strolling down the hill. Exchanging glances, the two headed back into the temple, both rather uncomfortable at having done something that was probably frowned on.

They stayed for nearly three hours, unwilling to leave the site, even though Salwa seemed impatient to get away. Eventually they left, making good time back to their hotel rooms where a message waited for Salwa. Beaming she entered Sophia's room waving a note in her hand. "Mohammed has got you entry into the new dig!" she exclaimed, eyes bright.

"How on earth did he manage that?" Sophia replied, excitement swirling through her.

"I rang him, just to confirm what he said and apparently Mohammed used to be one of Hawas' students, and it seems that Hawas believes the site may be a hoax. You'll still be under strict supervision, but he's willing to let you be shown around. I think there's a lot of American money gone into the excavation, so it's probably good PR on his behalf."

"What about you? Aren't you coming too?" Maggie asked.

"Not this time. Hawas has always been touchy about his sites, I don't mind though, as Mohammed will try and get me in later in the excavation. And if not then, well I can just come as a tourist when it opens to the public."

A new site, a new temple, even if it turned out to be a hoax Sophia would relish the chance to see archaeologists at work. Life as a secretary wasn't exactly thrilling and for a while now she'd wondered about going to night school, getting herself into an archaeological group on a part time basis with a view to taking it up professionally if at all possible.

Her thoughts inevitably returned to Daniel.

The site was smaller than she had expected, though that was probably because she had only seen the largest of the temples. After the grandeur of Abu Simbel this new building was like a hut. The front wall was impressive in its limestone façade, figures cut deeply into its surface, but only standing maybe fifteen feet high. The lintel above the entrance had fallen and lay broken in pieces, the parts having been numbered and moved out of the way. Inside the main courtyard, sand was still being removed. A chain of Nubian workers passed hand woven baskets up and down the line, emptying the desert from the confines of the temple in an efficient stream.

"Mohammed, welcome!" Zawi Hawas strode up to the visitors, clasped their guide in a hug and turned his attention to the Americans standing at his side.

"Welcome, welcome. Mohammed may show you around the site, but I ask that you touch nothing, remove nothing. "

Sophia and Maggie assured him that they would scarcely breathe while they were shown around and he quickly left them to supervise elsewhere.

Inside the main courtyard, little could be seen except the columns that had been partially uncovered, alternately adorned with either lotus or papyrus.

Steps had been revealed leading up into a hall and this too was being emptied revealing an inner sanctum beyond. Two Polish archaeologists were carefully brushing the last of the sand from the floor as the trio entered. The place was small and claustrophobic, but Sophia was fascinated at the work being done and as Mohammed and Maggie went back outside, to be guided around the current finds, Sophia lingered in the doorway, entranced.

Half an hour later she was still there, sitting quietly at the entrance watching each careful swish of a soft brush. As they worked, a circle of metal was being revealed. Not a solid disc, but sections of metal that formed a wheel without a central hub. The inserts seemed plain, but it was obvious from the archaeologists' reactions that it was highly unusual. The two men exchanged glances time and again as each new section was revealed. Eventually the perfect ring had been fully uncovered. One man got up and from the conversation and Hawas's name, it seemed that they were calling in the boss. Quickly she moved out of the way as the two men headed out of the sanctum, neither of them registering her presence. For a moment there was utter stillness in the room and Sophia felt herself drawn into the sanctum. There were no signs of writing on the wall: no paintings, no reliefs, yet there was a sense of age and something rather uncomfortable in the walls. Carefully she stepped in out of the sunlight and let her fingers trail lightly against the rough wall.

It was like a curtain being drawn back. She'd never felt anything quite like it. Objects held emotions, sometimes a hint of the owner's personality; this was overwhelming in its intensity. There were layers of different emotions at work here: devotion, yes, but a sense of awe that gradually faded as though the imprint had been left a long time ago. Akin to the fading of a photograph, or the way the colours had disappeared from the temple of Karnak. The images survived but the true glory was long gone.

She turned to study the ring of metal, crouching down to let her fingers hover just above the surface. Nothing. She frowned, every object collected psychic vibrations. She stepped cautiously into the cleared centre and let her eyes drift shut, her senses drifted out searching. Her eyes flew open as a sudden crunching of metal slammed into her senses. She was surrounded by light and sound and then the temple disappeared from her sight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Daniel was studying the latest photos from the site on the large screen in the briefing room. Perched on the edge of the large table he flicked from image to image, zooming in on occasion, only to mutter under his breath before moving on to the next image. Jack found him there some hours later, a notepad at his side, staring intently at an aerial photo that had just come in.

"Anything leap out at you?" Jack asked, taking a seat and swivelling around to add his gaze to Daniel's.

"It's all wrong, that's what leaps out at me. The layout is much later than the building appears to be. The carvings on the outer wall are raised, they should be bas. The Goa'uld writing on the walls certainly shouldn't be there. The fact that it appears to be dedicated to Hapi..." Daniel's hand waved across one of the carvings, "everything about this temple is wrong."

"Hapi, huh? Doesn't look too happy to me. Is it a man or a woman? Man, look at those…" Jack's hand graphically described Hapi's unique attributes.

"Male. No one knows why he is portrayed with breasts. He's one of the oldest gods; went out of favour later on." Daniel subsided into silence, eyes studying the photo once again.

Jack waited. Daniel never stopped with the lecturing once he was on a roll, it was hard to side track him, now he remained quiet, setting warning bells off in Jack's head.

Deciding to nudge, Jack asked. "So, what do you think? We got a Goa'uld temple sitting out at Aswan? Trouble?"

Daniel had started to flick through the images again, finally settling on the carving on the front of the temple. Hapi was portrayed on either side of the gateway, a younger image than usually seen, his hair not as long, his figure slim, though the breasts remained as empty and flaccid as in later images. From his hands poured a stream of symbols signifying water and life. The writing wasn't clear enough for Daniel to decipher as yet, just bare hints of what the content might be, certainly it was a dedication to the god and something about 'bringer of life'. He itched to be there.

Instead of answering the question, he posed one of his own. "I wonder if there is a tomb beneath the temple?" His eyes met Jack's.

"And they're digging right above it." Jack sat straighter in his chair. "Yeah, I think we may have trouble."

They were waiting for the rest of the team to arrive when Daniel's cell began to ring. Not many people had his personal number and normally he would have turned it off when he got to the facility, today he'd been distracted and left it on. Reception that far underground was virtually nil anyway.

"Hi," he answered warily, not recognising the number of the caller.

"Daniel, is that you? It's Maggie."

Daniel's heart sped up and his stomach tightened uncomfortably. "Yeah, hi Maggie. Something wrong?" Don't expect the worst, he told himself.

"Oh, God, Daniel, Sophia's missing. We were at the site and she was looking at the sanctuary and when we went to meet up with her to go home she was gone. The police won't do anything, they think she's wandered off sightseeing and no one will believe me that she wouldn't do that." Maggie's voice broke then and Daniel could hear her catching her breath, holding back sobs.

"Maggie, Maggie, listen to me, I'm on my way. I'll get there as soon as I can. Maggie?" Connections were poor at the best of times from the more remote areas of Egypt and they had just lost theirs.

Daniel stood for a moment looking at the dead handset and then Jack's hand was on his arm.

He looked up, unaware that his eyes revealed his sudden panic. "I've got to get to Aswan, Jack, now. Sophia's missing – from the site."

"I'll talk to the powers that be. You get packed." Jack turned from his friend, heading toward Hammond's door.

Daniel pressed the button for the elevator, cursing as he watched its slow ascent to his upper level, then squeezed in through the doors as soon as they opened. Cursing the slowness, he pressed his floor again and again, as though his urgency would make the journey any faster. The doors opened and he ran down the corridor to his laboratory. The night before he had packed a bag and brought it with him to the facility. He'd had no intention of going home before the trip to Egypt, even if he'd had to book a private flight. Entering his room he almost knocked Sam down as she exited.

"I was looking for you… Daniel, are you okay?"

He filled her in on events as he packed up his notebooks and the photo files he might need. He'd study it all again on the flight out.

"This might be of interest, the satellite that's been observing the site picked up this surge in power. The frequency is that given off by the Goa'uld rings when they are activated. I'll stay here and keep monitoring the site until Teal'c and I can join you."

Daniel's eyes rested on the print out, not really seeing the figures that Sam referred to. "She could be anywhere then. Did we detect a ship in orbit, anything that could tell us where she's been taken?"

"No, nothing. It may just be a coincidence, Daniel. Maybe Sophia did just wander away from the site and is already back with Maggie."

Their eyes met, Daniel shaking his head.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bright light surrounded her, a heavy thudding whir of noise battered her ears and then Sophia found herself surrounded by darkness. Something was in her way and her feet went out from under her, sending her pitching forward into what felt like empty air – she was falling. Her breath stuck in her throat as a scream tried to race its way into the pitch black, but nothing would come out. Solid ground rushed up to her and she landed on her hands and knees, spilling forward in an unstoppable tumble. Suddenly she gulped air into her lungs and let out a soft cry. What the hell had happened to her?

She dragged in another breath and another trying to lower the pounding of her heart to a level that would not kill her. She stretched out her senses, trying to feel something, anything that might give her a clue as to what had happened to her. There was a strange, dark feel to the air that made her shiver. She felt too vulnerable sprawled on the floor, so with care she raised herself up until she stood on unsteady legs, her palms stinging from skidding across what had felt like stone flagging. Stretching out her hands, stepping with extreme care, she made her way step by slow step forward, fingers trembling, her breath catching again and again.

It seemed like a lifetime but finally her fingers touched something solid. Slowly she traced her way along what she assumed to be a wall. The change in air warned her she had moved from one place to another. For a moment she paused, did she go forward or back? She couldn't stop, not now. Perhaps there was a way out further on, a few more steps maybe? Something moved under her fingers and suddenly she found herself stepping into a larger room. This place felt different, behind her something scraped across the floor. Her breath caught as she slowly turned and put out a hand, the wall was solid behind her. Trapped! Oh God, oh God!

The floor was perfectly flat under her sandaled feet. She let her hands roam over the wall's surface, it felt smooth like metal. There were raised lines like writing pressing against her fingertips and then her hand landed on a round protuberance. The flash of emotion that surged through her from the contact made her head ache and unconsciously she pressed harder on the sphere. Lights suddenly came on, the glare stabbing at her eyes leaving her as blind as before. A whimper escaped through her trembling lips, but she slowly steadied her breathing again. Carefully she opened her eyelids a crack, letting her eyes adjust to the brightness. Millimetre by millimetre she expanded her vision until she could bear the harshness. She stood facing a panel set into a long wall. At the centre of the panel was a half spherical red crystal, which must have been what she had felt under her hand a moment before. Stretching along the wall in either direction were hieroglyphics and images that she could not decipher. She turned around slowly following the contour of the room and found herself facing the most unusual sarcophagus she had ever seen. It was metallic and shone like gold, but the shape was unusual. It too was covered in sigils but there seemed to be a split running the whole length of the cover. How the hell had she got here?

There was a rumble of noise, soft at first then slowly getting louder and it was coming from the sarcophagus. She took a step back, then another, until she was pressed against the wall, fingers clutching at the metal. Light spilled from the opening and then a vision rose from the depths.

He was tall. Taller than any Egyptian she had seen and his body was sculpted perfection, from the defined pectoral muscles that showed beneath the heavy band of gold and lapis lazuli to the slim hips hugged by brilliant white linen. Tapered legs disappeared into the sarcophagus. Sophia took it all in with one sweep of her gaze and then returned to the face. Chiselled features, bronze skin and eyes that… oh God, they were glowing, a fierce gold and focussed on her.

"On your knees, human."

Sophia couldn't move, couldn't speak - could barely see she was so terrified. Her legs had locked solid, freezing her into immobility. She hadn't understood the words but she could feel the anger build within him.

"You defy me?" The voice was low and menacing, making her tremble.

With casual ease he stepped from the box and stood glaring at her. Behind him, the sarcophagus slowly closed. His hand came up, palm facing outward. Strapped to his palm a red gem began to glow.

"Who are you? Speak."

Her lips parted. She had understood that last command, the man having changed to an archaic form of Arabic. But before she could even try to answer him, a searing pain hit her between the eyes driving her to her knees. All thought vanished as she was swamped in agony. Blackness was edging its way in from her peripheral vision, until the world blacked out and her knees finally unlocked sending her tumbling to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

Hapi strode to where the female had collapsed; bending stiffly he dragged her upright. Her clothing was not right. Her features bore some resemblance to that of his worshippers, but she was not of the people he had seen bow in awe at his presence. He felt strong, invigorated, holding her puny body above his head. She felt as light as air. He tossed her aside, ignoring the crunch of broken bones as she fell across his sarcophagus. He strode to the wall, pressed a sequence on the panel and exited the room. His powers may not be what they were, but he was more than a match for the inferior beings of Earth. He would sit in splendour once again and rule over the land he had brought into being. But first he must discover how the rings had been activated and why no guard had challenged the intruder.

Jack could hear the roar of the plane's engines over the tinny chatter coming through his headphones. The images on the screen could not distract him from Daniel's tense body at his side. Daniel had taken the window seat and now sat staring intently out into the bright blue nothing that surrounded them and the fluffy white clouds that they seemed to be skimming. The quickest way to get to the site had been via a regular flight, and only two seats had been available. There had been no discussion of who should travel. Sam and Teal'c would follow later on an air force plane, along with SG5 who were even now being briefed. Someone from the US government had talked to someone in the Egyptian one and visas and documentation had been arranged. All this had made little impact on Daniel it seemed. From the time they had left the mountain he hadn't uttered a word save those required of him.

Daniel and silence didn't go together. Daniel staring into space in a fugue set warning bells off in Jack's head, but there was nothing he could do. He knew his friend well enough to let him work his way through this dip in his own way, though it didn't stop him from worrying. The archaeologist could be… unpredictable when his emotions overtook his practicality and hard earned self-control. There was tightness around his eyes, a tenseness in his jaw that spoke of energy boiling to be released and emotions threatening his barriers.

Jack just knew that guilt would be high on the agenda. There had obviously been some argument between Daniel and Sophia, which in itself was strange. Daniel had been obviously happy the few months that he and his lady had been together.

A change in the engine noise brought them both out of their contemplative state. The rattle of lowering undercarriage announced that the plane was finally arriving in Cairo. There would be an hour's delay before they could head up to Aswan, then transfer out to the site. Night came early this time of the year and they were probably going to arrive at dusk. Zawi Hawas had promised to wait for them and guide them round the temple, though he, like the police, thought it highly unlikely that anything could have happened to the American.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It took forever to get out of the airport. The customs officials seemed hell bent on holding them up, but once Daniel had impressed with his fluent Arabic they were suddenly through and out into the night air.

"Doctor Jackson?"

A small wiry individual of indeterminate years stood by his elbow, smiling. "I am to take you to Hawas. I am Mohammed, deputy to Hawas. Please come this way."

Jack muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Daniel to hear. "Is everyone over here called Mohammed?"

"Family tradition," Daniel murmured back. "Eldest son is called Mohammed in honour of the prophet."

"Right." Jack was quiet for a moment. "That's gonna get confusing."

Daniel seared a look his way. Jack's hand flew up defensively. "I'm just saying."

The car was old, or at least it looked it. The front wing had been dented at some stage and there were some suspect dings in the passenger doors, both back and front that shadowed in the pale light from the overheads. Daniel, used to the way Egyptian drivers ignored the rules of the road, made a point of buckling his seat belt and advised Jack to do the same. Just in time, as the car suddenly lurched forward and aimed straight for the traffic streaming past.

A hair-raising thirty minutes later and they were deposited outside the building site. A younger man was squatting by the gate and rose to meet them, torch in hand.

Daniel immediately began a rapid flow of Arabic that left Jack staring. He had witnessed this civilian in action often enough to know he was an excellent linguist, but he'd yet to see him this animated and fluent. Hands were flying, voices rose and fell as the two men set off into the darkness, Jack forgotten by them both.

"Well, at least you're talking," he muttered to Daniel's retreating back, then picked up the pace to catch them before they disappeared into the hotel foundations.

The site was floodlit by a score of powerful lights erected on tall poles surrounding the temple. The harsh glare banished shadows from dark corners except for where the steps rose up to an open stone doorway. Standing at the top of the steps was Zawi Hawas, director of antiquities and world-renowned archaeologist.

Grabbing the man's hand, Daniel shook it warmly and greeted him with a rush of Arabic before being pulled into a hug by the smaller man and then introduced Jack.

Hawas indicated the way into the temple's holy of holies. "Come. This is where your friend was last seen. The team working in here left her alone while they came to fetch me, when we returned she was gone. She is nowhere in the building, which, as you can see, is not large."

"May we?" Daniel asked, switching on his own torch and shining it into the dark interior.

Hawas nodded, after a brief hesitation.

Jack was at Daniel's heels as they entered the small area. The beams of their lights ran around the bare walls. Only plaster reflected back. No colour, no etching, not even a speck of graffiti marred the walls. Daniel aimed his torch to the ceiling, nothing.

"Daniel."

Jack's voice sounded loud in the quiet of the sanctum.

His beam was pointed at the floor. Reflected back was the perfect circle of a transporter ring.

"Where's the control mechanism? It has to be here somewhere." Daniel sent his torchlight scouring the empty space again. "There's got to be a way to activate it from up here or how else did Sophia get transported."

Jack had been quartering the space and ended up next to Daniel. "There's nothing in here. Is it possible it was booby trapped from another room ... a one way trip?"

"She could be anywhere." Daniel's face turned pale. "Alone, hurt. This temple, it's old Jack, very old even if it is all wrong. What if the Goa'uld abandoned it and she's trapped somewhere. Maybe right under our feet?" He sank to his knees and laid a hand against the flagging as though he could will a way through.

Jack checked his watch. "Teal'c and Sam will be here in another couple of hours. Let's go to the hotel, get some rest then get here first light with whatever equipment Sam's managed to bring. Maybe she'll spot something we can't see."

Daniel ignored him, settling himself in the centre of the ring. "I'll wait here for you."

"Daniel, there's nothing you can do." Jack eyed the stubborn set of Daniel's jaw and sighed. "This is not going to get her back any quicker and you'll be out of shape come the morning. You have to rest and be ready for whatever might happen. You know what tricky bastards the Goa'uld are. This thing could go off again."

"I'll rest right here, I've slept in worse places as you know. I'll be fine, Jack. Go, meet with the others, get a game plan, do whatever you need to and I'll be right here when you get back."

"You'd better be." Jack growled back before conceding defeat.

Night time in the desert isn't as quiet as you would think. The wind made a strange rushing sound as it skimmed the desert sand. Insects buzzed around the lights and sizzled to their deaths. Daniel moved into the far corner so that he could see out into the deserted courtyard. The lights were still on and a lone security guard would be on patrol around the perimeter. Apart from a few pieces of pottery, there had been little found here and he mused on that fact. Temples were abandoned for various reasons, but whenever it happened the local population would take over the space and make it their own. The detritus of everyday living inevitably got left behind - broken pots, lost jewellery even notes written on flakes of limestone. There was always something to tell of a population's passing, but here, in this temple, it was as though the place had been cleaned out and left perfectly preserved.

Hapi. Not a Goa'uld that they had heard mentioned, nor found in lists etched into Goa'uld temple walls. Was he an outcast then? And what was he doing on Earth? The god represented on the walls of this temple was young and virile, not the old man who could be found elsewhere in Egypt. His history was virtually lost. What if he had been exiled here? But then why… too many questions and Daniel knew his brain wasn't up to finding answers.

One thing he knew he wouldn't do was sleep. Stepping out into the spotlight's glare, Daniel made his way slowly along the inner walls. Here there were symbols etched into the soft stone. Prayers to the god; thanks for the gift of life, the blessing of water, the crops that abounded. In the back of his mind Daniel searched for what he knew about Hapi. Wasn't there some speculation that he had caused the Nile to flow? That the breasts were supposed to show fertility?

The second, smaller courtyard had yet to be cleared beyond a walkway up to the sanctuary. Sand was still piled against walls, hiding who knew what. Daniel itched to move it. Somewhere, surely, there had to be an entrance to the tomb that he was sure existed. Though he didn't think Hawas would be happy if he started shifting the detritus on his own.

He finished his circuit and headed back up the steps to the inner sanctum. His torch beam caught in the shadows under the top step, still partially covered in sand. The pale wash of limestone glinted. Kneeling, Daniel blew gently at the sand until he could grasp the edge and carefully slide out the large sliver. The writing was faded and not in too skilled a hand, but legible all the same.

_Great Hap_

_Thou who dwellest among us and below us_

_We give greetings to thee_

_And ask for your mercy_

_You, who brought forth life_

_Now take back your gift_

_We beseech you_

_Honour us once more_

Among us and below us. The phrase rattled around in his head. _Below us_. There must be a way down to underground chambers, something that Hawas and his team had yet to find. Daniel was on his feet again and began a slow, methodical search of the hall.

The sun was rising by the time he gave up. There were still areas that the teams had not cleared, but by now he had decided that the only probable way down was the rings – if they could ever figure out how to work them. Getting back up again would come later. Still, he would shift every grain of sand himself if there was even the slightest chance of an easier way down.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jack strode into the hotel lobby, his teeth still rattling from the ride. Sam and Teal'c were at the check-in desk having obviously just arrived.

"Guys," he said, as he approached.

"Sir," Sam replied, quietly, then looked behind him to the entrance. "Where's Daniel?"

Jack glanced around quickly. There were too many people in the lounge. A tour group off out with their guide; a group of business men sipping coffee and talking loudly; a lone woman staring out the window into the dark. Her head swung around at their voices. Damn.

She was on her feet and heading their way with determined strides before Jack could think of how to get out of her way.

"Excuse me, but did you say Daniel? Are you friends of his?" Her voice was anxious, her chin determined.

"We are," Teal'c spoke in his soft rumble.

"Work colleagues," Jack jumped in quickly. It was unusual for Teal'c to make a snap judgement, or to speak out of turn, but he'd obviously decided he liked the look of this woman who must be Maggie.

Maggie's gaze was assessing. "I see. That explains a few things about Daniel." She waited for a beat then asked. "Where is he?"

Jack's answer was for all of them. "Let's take a seat somewhere a bit quieter, shall we. Sam, are we booked in yet?"

"Second floor." Sam watched the colonel take the young woman's arm and almost march her to the stairs.

A few minutes later they were spread around the room, Maggie on the bed nearest the door, Sam on the opposite one, while the two men took up stations at door and window. The spread of personnel was done without thought.

"You're military, right?" Maggie asked. Her eyes moved from Jack to Teal'c, then down to Sam. "I've lived with military all my life. I know a soldier when I see one. So, where's Daniel, where's Sophia."

Silence answered her. "Was Sophia abducted because of Daniel?" Her voice had risen slightly.

"What makes you think that?" Jack kept his shoulder to the door, but his stance had stiffened slightly.

"You," she replied baldly. "Daniel never talked about his work, ever. He'd disappear for days on end, come back worse for wear sometimes, or so Sophia told me. Like I said, I've been around the military all my life, I know a lot of things a civilian shouldn't and I can smell an undercover operation when I see it. Is Sophia missing because of Daniel?"

Teal'c moved from the window. "She is not."

His emphatic tone seemed to take the guts out of Maggie. Her face began to crumple, tears started to her eyes. "Then where is she?"

Sam switched to the other bed and put an arm around her. "We're going to find out. We've only just arrived, give us time. We'll keep you informed but we really need to get settled in. Why don't you go to your room and try and get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning.

With the fight gone out of her, Maggie let herself be gently escorted out of the room to find her way back to her own room.

"That was uncomfortable. Who is this woman? Sam, get on line. I want to know everything about her." Jack started to pace the room while Sam plugged in her laptop and began to type.

"Where is Daniel Jackson, colonel?" Teal'c finally asked, taking them back to the original question.

"Back at the temple. He wouldn't come away… What? You expected me to knock him out and bring him back over my shoulder?"

As his teammates knew that Jack was quite capable of doing just that, they just looked at him with similar expressions of understanding.

"Look, he could hardly get into any trouble, there's nothing there apart from the rings. No control mechanism and we looked hard. Half the rest of the place is full of sand. He'll be alright until morning." Jack was desperate to convince the others as well as himself.

"Sir. Maggie Connors, she's the daughter of General Connors the head of Project Diamond. Doesn't seem to be employed at the moment, but she's had various posts within NATO."

They exchanged looks. "How on earth did she get to be friends with a secretary? Well, at least she'll know how to keep her mouth shut should she see something she shouldn't."

The next morning, they left the hotel at first light. By the time they reached the temple site, work had already commenced. A string of leathery skinned workmen formed a line that was rapidly passing baskets of sand out of the temple's courtyard and passing empty ones back down. Jack scanned the interior but could see no sign of Daniel. As he headed up to the inner sanctum he noted one workman that seemed taller than the others. Daniel, dressed in borrowed native garb was near the head of the line, working alongside the Egyptian team.

Jack stared for a moment, memories of Abydos coming flooding back. Daniel and Sha'uri and their extended family. Skaara. The endless sand.

Daniel was in his element.

It was mind numbing, this endless movement of sand. As the sun had risen, Daniel had become more and more convinced that Sophia was nearby. He could _feel_ her. Jack would put it down to paranoia and sleep deprivation, and maybe the crushing guilt he felt for having not returned her call. Maybe part of that was true: he'd run from the emotional confrontation and look what had happened. But through the months they'd been together he'd acquired a kind of sixth sense when she was around. Perhaps it was that she could feel him so deeply? Who knew? But he was aware of her when she entered a room, could sense her unease without seeing her face and making love with her was amazing, so attuned to one another as they were.

Deep in his gut, Daniel _knew_ she was nearby. If Sam couldn't find a way to get the rings to work, then there must be another way down. So here he was, moving sand until they reached the flagging and temple walls and could find a second way in. The first thing he'd do when he got back to the mountain was check off every damned deity he could think of for their allegiance and state of health. If there were any Goa'uld unaccounted for, he wanted to know.

A cry from the head of the line brought him out of his reverie. Hawas was hurrying forward as the men moved out of his way.

"Ahhhhhh."

Daniel heard the pleased sound Hawas made as he reached him.

"Look, Daniel, see?"

Daniel did. They both examined the large square of plaster, at variance with the blocks around it. It was the sort of seal you came across on hidden tombs. A door - low down on the back wall, anyone entering it would need to crouch low, a suitable position for a servant, or petitioner. This was not the front door by any means.

Daniel also knew that, much has he wanted to take a sledgehammer to the thing, Hawas was not going to let him. For one thing, it was obvious no one had been through that entrance for millennia, so no way Sophia had gone that way. He knew that the rings must have been activated, but Hawas was looking for a missing American tourist, not a way into a secret alien lair.

SG1 stood back and watched, as with great care the archaeologist took photos, measurements and finally a tiny hammer and chisel. With soft taps, Hawas worked his way around the seal, and with each tap, tap, tap, their nerves grew tighter and tighter.

"Can't we just…"

"No," Daniel replied firmly, much as he agreed with Jack.

"Just …"

"No."

Minutes stretched to an hour, then another fifteen minutes before the seal finally was eased away leaving a dark hole in the white wall.

Hawas took a torch from one of the natives and let the beam flash inside the opening. Daniel was at his side in an instant, his eyes searching the small tunnel. They looked at one another and Hawas grinned.

"We must organise ourselves, yes," Hawas muttered. "The other countries must be allowed access as we discover what lies within. Daniel, please stay here while I choose the team."

Daniel nodded, not believing his luck. As soon as the archaeologist moved out of sight Jack and the others rushed over.

"We won't have much time. Daniel, you stay on guard duty, Sam co-ordinate with SG5, they should arrive any minute and I don't want to upset the locals – yet. Teal'c you're with me." Jack's orders buzzed in Daniel's head, but landed nowhere. With a quick twist of the wrist, he had wrested Jack's torch from his hand and plunged into the dark passageway.

"Bloody hell, Daniel, get your ass back here!!"

But Daniel was already moving through the tunnel that seared arrow straight toward the outer wall. The air clogged his lungs, the stale taste of fetid air setting his gag reflexes working.

Ignoring the sound of pursuit, he plunged deeper. Amazingly, the passage was clear of debris. No one had entered the tomb since it had been sealed, which said a lot for the fear that Hapi had wielded over his followers. Suddenly slowing, Daniel's brain caught up with his emotions and he finally gave thought to possible booby traps. They were not unheard of in tombs of later dynasties, so why not here? As the thought hit, so did the sudden rumbling sound of masonry grinding against itself and behind him Jack's voice yelled a warning.

Daniel flung himself forward, the falling block missing him by millimetres, sending dust and debris soaring into the fetid air.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hep strode forward into the antechamber, lights flicking on automatically as he entered, letting his eyes rove over the opulent room. Delightful paintings, in vibrant colours, surrounded him. Scenes of worship - his followers making offerings to him as he sat in majesty. There should have been a priest in attendance at all times, someone to see to his every need, yet the room held an air of long disuse. He felt a chill run through him though the air was hot and uncomfortable. How long had he been asleep?

The energy that had filled him just minutes before seemed to drain away. He felt as he had the day he'd entered the sarcophagus: limbs leaden with tiredness, his host restless. They were both old, even by Goa'uld standards, though he looked as young as the day he had first taken this body. Sometimes it was hard to remember who and what he really was, so comfortable had he become in this form.

He had altered the programming of the sarcophagus to keep his body in suspension until someone came to remove him from this forsaken rock. Perhaps that had been a wrong move. It seemed that the restorative powers had not healed him as they should. Still, that was easily put right, he had only to reprogram the machine and let it work its magic on him, then he would be back to his full glory.

Ahead, the tunnel suddenly twisted right and down, a steep path that had Daniel doubled over in places. If his bearings were correct, he was now heading back toward the sanctuary and hopefully Sophia.

He took careful steps forward, torch swinging full circle in search of more booby traps. If he got caught between two rock falls he might never see the sun again. Desperate as he was to reach Sophia, he had to keep himself safe to achieve any rescue.

A few yards further in the tunnel turned again. Daniel took extra care as he stepped around the corner. Ahead of him was another seal, this one decorated with glyphs. It took only a moment to decipher that this was the resting place of the god Hapi and that his rest was not to be disturbed until he returned to them in triumph.

Daniel checked the edge of the seal. It crumbled under his touch. Turning out his pockets he searched for anything he could use to ease the seal from its resting place. Various coins seemed to be the only tools he could find – useless. Frustration swamped him as he stared at the barrier. Then he lashed out with his foot, sending a solid blow to the middle of the cartouche housing Hapi's name. To his amazement the seal crumbled further, chunks from the top fell to the floor sending dust into the already dense air. It was all the encouragement he needed. A few minutes later, coughing and wiping his streaming eyes, Daniel looked through into the room beyond.

The throne was gold, set on a dais of stone inset with transporter rings. It gleamed in the beam from his torch, reflecting back to the walls that were painted in beautiful detail. The millennia had been kind to the room, leaving it almost untouched. So, Daniel thought, a suitable god-like entrance would be made when Hapi ascended on his throne to the room above.

Then Daniel heard the soft pad of footsteps from his right. Quickly he turned off the beam and stepped back into the tunnel suddenly recalling his unarmed state and the probability that a Goa'uld might be alive and dangerous and on home turf.

In the next breath, lights suddenly flooded the room with a soft ambience. Into that glow stepped Hep, his bronzed figure almost glowing with the light reflecting from the gold around his neck and the metal strapped to his hand and forearm.

Daniel cursed mentally. Nothing fancy, just a good old fashion Anglo-Saxon epithet. What now? He peered around the tunnel's edge and watched as Hapi strolled around the room as though reacquainting himself with the designs painted there. Then the Goa'uld strode to the dais and ran his fingers along the back of the chair. Believing himself unobserved, the Goa'uld seemed to droop, his hands gripping the chair back until the bronzed knuckles turned white. Daniel's mind was working furiously. Apart from Lord Yu, he had yet to see a Goa'uld in less than their prime. Perhaps, just perhaps he could take him. Easy, he thought, just get rid of the parasite, rescue Sophia, figure out how to work the rings and ascend to the temple like Poseidon emerging from the sea's depths – not a problem.

The torch was heavy in his hand. If he could sneak up on the Goa'uld … Daniel was half way there when something alerted Hep to his presence. With a yell, he flung himself forward, dodging the suddenly raised hand and the beam lancing from the ribbon device that was now raised and aimed at him.

They went down in a tangle of flailing limbs. Daniel felt a searing pain as Hep's hand pressed the device to his side, the power searing through cloth to the flesh below. Yelling, he rolled away, coming to his feet next to the chair. Hep was up and moving toward him murder in his face, hand extended, power pulsing in the air around them. The Goa'uld was drawing energy from somewhere in the room, augmenting his natural ability to control the beam. Daniel ducked just in time as the jewel glowed into life again. The burst hit the chair, was absorbed by it and passed down to the dais below. Sparks flared briefly around the ring.

This wasn't going well. Daniel didn't want the rings damaged, how else were they to get out when he found Sophia? He stepped away, dragging Hep's attention with it and launched himself at his opponent again. It felt as though he were playing out a scene in some surreal movie, the only soundtrack that of their harsh breathing and the scuff of feet on stone. Suddenly he found himself flying through the air, being propelled back toward the dais. His hand caught the back and he twisted mid air to land on his feet before falling off the raised dais. From his crouched position on the floor, he watched the deadly device being raised again and dived for cover.

Sparks flew, sending glittering filaments into the air. A thrumming began under his feet and for the first time Hep spoke – "NO!"

Daniel ran for the passage that led to the room Hep had emerged from. Taking a quick look over his shoulder he saw the Goa'uld race to the chair, fingers reaching for the back and start to press a sequence of indents that had escaped Daniel's brief perusal. There was a rumble and the first ring rose then stopped in mid air. Unleashed power made the atmosphere sing, causing Daniel's head to pound, then light exploded from the centre of the dais, engulfing Hep, the chair and the rings. The force propelled Daniel a few more steps into the passage, then the rumbling sound of falling masonry rent the air.

The ceiling ahead of him began to fall and behind him the throne room was slowly disintegrating. Daniel fell to the floor, curled himself up into a ball and prayed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When the rumbling stopped, Daniel lifted his head. Dust was settling around him and he could feel the fine particles landing on the bare skin of his hands and face. In all the fighting he'd managed to somehow hang on to the torch. He twisted the grip and blessed light sprang out to show the devastation around him. A few feet away stood the entrance to a second room, the doorway accessible, barely.

The torch's beam blazed across the fallen blocks ahead of him and swinging around he saw that the passage he had used was now fully sealed. There would be no access from there unless Jack and the others could burrow their way in. He turned back, letting the light search across the way ahead. Climbing over the fallen blocks until he stood in the entrance ... and there she was ... like a broken doll, draped across the sarcophagus.

Her face was pale, the soft coffee colour of her skin washed out until it was almost translucent. Daniel feared the worst. There were a few cuts to her arms and legs, but no pools of blood that might indicate a large blood loss, so the damage had to be internal.

Carefully he made his way across the fallen blocks, each step placed with caution. A false move now could bring the rest of the temple down on their heads. In the distance he could hear Jack's voice barking out orders and the scrape of stone against stone as the workmen began to dig.

He was nearly there. Two or three more moves that was all.

He searched out the next place to step, judging the viability with extreme care. Gingerly he moved his right foot a few inches to the side, testing the stability

with increasing pressure before allowing his full weight to move. As he raised his left foot he felt the block beneath him begin to slide. Diving forward, Daniel made a mad scramble for Sophia's recumbent form, throwing himself across her just as rubble dropped from the already damaged ceiling. Dust clogged the air, debris hit his back and legs and a thunderous grating echoed in the small room. It seemed to last a lifetime and yet when Daniel raised his head, only a few seconds had passed by.

His torch had been lost in that mad dive, but now there was the faint glow of daylight filtering down through a man sized hole; the ceiling of this room had started to collapse giving him a glimpse through the room overhead to the temple courtyard two storeys above. Carefully raising himself up, Daniel checked for damage. His back hurt like hell, his left arm felt numb and his fingers wouldn't move. There was blood trickling down his face from a deep cut across his scalp, but all in all he'd been lucky. He turned his attention to Sophia. Her eyes were still closed, her cheeks unnaturally pale but she was breathing – tight shallow breaths that spoke of broken ribs or fluid in her lungs. He could see now the bright red mark on her forehead. The bastard had used the ribbon device on her. Anger surged through him, if Hapi wasn't already dead he'd kill him, blast him to smithereens, splatter him from Abu Simbel to Cairo.

"Daniel, you there? Can you hear me?"

Jack's voice echoed into the void. Daniel didn't think he'd ever been more grateful to hear that sharp tone.

"Yes, we're both here. Jack, Sophia's hurt, ribs I think. She's unconscious, very pale, maybe internal injuries. We have to get her out here, fast."

"Trying, Daniel, but the whole temple is unstable. What the hell did you do anyway? Never mind. We're gonna rig a pulley system over the hole and winch you up, but it's gonna take time. Too much pressure in any one spot and the rest of this place is going to come down on top of you both. Sit tight, don't move, we'll get you out as soon as we can."

Daniel heard the promise, but knew getting Sophia out was only the beginning. They were miles from a hospital and she needed help right now. As time passed, Jack came to the entrance time and again, trying to encourage him. They let down a canteen of water, but it was too far out of his reach. He daren't try to move until the winch was in place. In the meanwhile he could see Sophia visibly deteriorate.

"Daniel!" Jack was back, his face just visible through the gap in the roof. "We've got the rigging set up, I'm going to come down with a harness, then we get Sophia out of there, okay?"

Daniel's fingers brushed lightly against Sophia's face. "Hurry Jack, I don't think there's much time left."

Jack was a tall, muscular man, if the winch could hold him, it would certainly bear Sophia's trim figure, but as Jack inched his way toward the gap there was a rumbling from the blocks under his feet.

Teal'c was at the head of the line of natives holding the rope that would guide the colonel down, as soon as he felt the movement under his feet he pulled back hard. The stone under Jack's boots dropped away from him, crashing down mere feet from where Daniel had once again shielded Sophia.

For the past hour or more Daniel had been debating with himself. Arguing for and against the plan he'd concocted. He didn't want to do it. It was an insane idea, but what choice did he have? None... not if he wanted Sophia to live.

Carefully, he dragged her from the sarcophagus and set her down on the rubble surrounding them. Hurriedly he began to clear the lid and search for the opening. His left arm still hung useless and numb, but his right could work twice as hard, it would have to.

"What the hell are you doing?"

It was Jack, prone again, and hanging over the edge of the opening which now had expanded to twice its original size.

"There's no choice, Jack. If I don't she'll die. I can't let her, no matter what the outcome. I won't let her die like this." Daniel didn't even bother to look up; his hand was searching, his mind praying that the mechanism was still intact. "Besides," he added, with a hint of humour in his voice. "At least we'll be safe if you bring the rest of the temple down on our heads."

"You're going back in that thing? Daniel, don't be a fool. We'll get you out. They are rigging another winch. The ground further out seems more stable. You won't be in there much longer."

Daniel looked up this time, his eyes locked to that of his friend. "It won't be soon enough for Sophia, Jack. You and I both know it."

Jack was silent. Both his and Daniel's experiences with the effects of the sarcophagus was traumatic. It changed you and not in a good way. Thankfully the effects wore off in time, but just the thought of anyone getting into one of those contraptions made him shudder. Without another word he moved back from the hole and began to push the workmen to greater efforts.

"Come on, come on," Daniel murmured as the sarcophagus slowly opened. Inside, lights came on, though dim as though there was not a full charge. Remembering the comparative ease with which he'd dealt with Hapi, perhaps there was a fault in the machinery. Whatever the reason, he'd have to trust that there was enough healing power to save Sophia.

All he had to do was get them both into the sarcophagus. It wasn't easy. Hampered by his useless left arm, Daniel struggled to lift Sophia's dead weight without doing any more harm. Finally he got his legs over the edge and levered her up. Clasping her to his chest, he let his legs fold under him and their combined weight dragged him down hard, his head knocking against the rim and making his ears ring. The fit was quite tight, even though Sophia was so small.

Cradling her against his chest, he waited for the lid to close, praying that he hadn't made the wrong choice. He'd been in this contraption too many times to underestimate its effects. He'd almost lost his sanity after being coerced time and again by the princess to step inside and rest. He'd been strong in mind before his encounters with the Goa'uld technology, how would a sensitive like Sophia cope. God, was he doing the right thing? There was a rumble of noise and the two sides of the lid began to close, cutting out the light from the hole in the roof. As the narcotic effect began, Daniel tightened his grip around Sophia's waist, his choice now made for him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Daniel. Daniel, come on, wake up. We gotta move ... now."

Jack's voice scraped at Daniel's muzzy brain. There was something he should remember, what was it? Why was he pulling at him? He raised his arms to ward off Jack, only to find that his left arm didn't want to co-operate. The thought nagged at him, even as strong arms began to pull him upright.

Oh God, Sophia! Daniel's eyes flew open in sudden alarm. "Jack, what happened? Why'd you take us out so soon? My arm… Sophia. You didn't leave us in here long enough!" His good hand flew out and caught the front of Jack's shirt.

Jack shook his head. "Daniel, you've been in this thing for over an hour, the ground was so unstable it took longer than we wanted to get to you."

"Sophia?" his voice not as steady as he'd like.

"On her way to hospital. SG5 commandeered a helicopter. Doctors will be working on her ASAP. Daniel, come on, we've got to get out of here. The ground is shifting all the time and …"

A scattering of debris began to rain down on them, as though to emphasise Jack's prediction. Strapped to the ropes, Daniel let himself be winched to safety. Teal'c swung him away from the hole and then aided the colonel out. Almost as soon as they began to move away from the hole there was an ominous rumble.

"Run, now." Jack's order bellowed across the courtyard. The natives might not have understood the words, but the meaning was plain enough and everyone headed for the squared entranceway. Behind them, Hapi's temple began to implode.

Bright lights, concerned voices, the touch of hands on his body, Daniel came swimming warily up from unconsciousness into a maelstrom of activity. His head was spinning and every muscle and joint ached. He tried to raise his eyelids, but even that defeated him. His head felt stuffed with rocks that rattled against one another. A groan slipped from his parched lips as someone slipped an x-ray slide under his damaged shoulder.

"Internal injuries."

"Loss of blood."

"Take care!"

"Get that jacket off."

"Quickly."

Daniel might not be able to move, but his brain had begun to work again. Rapid-fire commands buzzed around him, his mind automatically translating even as he processed the fact that he was in more trouble than he had thought. He had a vague memory of the temple blocks under his feet begin to heave then blackness edging around him, after that, nothing.

Someone was working on his sleeve. He could feel the cold sting of metal shears inching up his forearm, heading for his shoulder. A sudden tug shot pain through his body and a scream tore from his throat. All went dark again.

"What happened," Daniel asked even as his gaze began to focus on Jack's concerned face.

"You fell in a hole, Daniel. You couldn't just keep running; you had to find the one hole in the whole stretch between the temple and the exit and fall in it. Do you know how much trouble we had getting you out?"

"Oh." Hardly an adequate reply, but it was all he could muster. Then he sat up abruptly, setting the various monitors screaming as his blood pressure rose.

"Sophia?"

"Intensive care," Jack replied with studied calm.

Oh god, that wasn't good, Daniel thought to himself. Jack has that neutral look on his face, the one that means bad news. "Tell me."

He could see Jack weighing up what to say.

"Tell me now or I'll go find out for myself," Daniel threatened, one hand grabbing the sheet to drag it off his body.

A nurse came bustling in, concerned and autocratic. Daniel let her settle him back into bed, check the monitors, drips, his pulse rate and assured her he was fine, turning his blue eyes to meet hers and promising to be good, his charm offensive at top notch, eyes innocent. She nodded, smiled and left.

"Now," Daniel said, his eyes returning to flint as they found Jack's. "Where were we?"

Jack came and took the seat next to the bed. "Promise me you'll stay quiet until I finish?" Daniel nodded. "Look, Sophia sustained multiple broken ribs, one of which pierced her lung. On top of that she sustained some internal injuries resulting in a high loss of blood. She was in surgery for four and half hours while they patched her up. Right now, she's being kept unconscious to give her body time to heal. There's nothing you can do now except heal yourself, okay?"

Daniel felt his heart constrict, his damn fault – he would never get involved with anyone again, ever.

"Stop that!" Jack's voice cut in.

"What?" he looked up confused.

"You're blaming yourself again. Stop it right now."

"But…"

"No buts, Daniel. It happened, if it hadn't been Sophia, it would be some other innocent. She's a tough cookie, she'll pull through. Just don't make it harder on yourself, or her, by shouldering this one. It... is ... not ... your... fault."

They had a whole half hour to themselves with no tourists to disturb them - a gift from Zawi Hawas. The sun was just rising as they moved into the shadowed columns. Hand in hand they slowly made their way deeper into the hall. Above them, ancient text looked down, around them the work of long dead artisans. Daniel held Sophia's hand in a firm grip. He'd hardly been able to let her out of his sight since her release from the hospital and when he had been allowed out of his own bed he'd spent days by her side, holding her hand, talking to her as she rested in her induced coma. He'd been with her every painful step of her recovery, until today, when she had assured him that she was well enough to spend an hour wandering Luxor.

"I dreamed of this. You and I, here; you explaining the meaning of the texts, me feeling the history around me. I wanted that so much and now it's true." Sophia's hand gripped his a little tighter. "The first time I came here, you were by my side, here." She tapped her temple. "This is so much better." She smiled up at him.

Her smile melted his heart, just as it always did. He tugged her gently toward him, releasing her hand to rest both of his on her waist, eyes locked to hers.

She wriggled out of his light grasp and headed toward the holy of holies. "I was afraid to enter here last time," she called back over her shoulder. "Will you come in with me?"

Daniel caught up with her easily and recaptured her hand. "Let's go."

They stood in silence, Daniel with his arms wrapped around Sophia's waist as she leaned back against him. Her eyes were closed, her breathing gentle and a smile played across her lips. "Can you feel it, Daniel?" she whispered. "Even after all these centuries, so much ..." Her voice drifted off.

Daniel didn't know what she was experiencing, but he could feel her contained excitement, understood her sense of awe. His arms tightened a fraction and he turned her to face him, his hands coming up to frame her face. Her eyes opened and met his: warmth and love flooded through him from her, touching him deep inside. He bent his head and kissed her with everything he felt for her and knew he'd found peace at last.

The end

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